What If?
by Dramatic Star
Summary: What If' is a story that will capture the hearts of fans of 'The Sound of Music'. It tells the tale of the denial of feelings which lead to circumstances. The Captain Georg & Maria find themselves in funny, dangerous & inexplainable situations.
1. Chapter 1

What would have happened if Maria had not run away to the Abbey? This story explores the Captain & Maria's denial of attraction with circumstances beyond imaginable.

**What If?**

Chapter One

It was a wonderful night. The sky was full of stars & the air was so warm for an October night. Maria, with cheeks still rosey from her dance with the Captain sat down on the bench which overlooked the lake, admiring the view as the moon beamed over the water. Despite such a lovely view, Maria looked saddened. She knew her days here were numbered, afterall she wouldn't be needed once the Captain married the Baroness. She was thinking how much she'd miss the children & the house, but most of all, the Captain.

"There you are!" A familiar voice spoke. It was Max who had come looking for her. "It's time for the meal, would you care to join me?" He said with a cheeky grin on his face.

Maria instantly plastered a smile on her face as she had got used to doing & took hold of Max's hand, got up & walked back into the house.

"Such lovely wine" the Baroness said as she took a large sip upon seeing Maria arrive. She couldn't quite work out why she took a disliking to Maria. There was something about her which she couldn't pinpoint. Maybe it was her innocence she'd often wonder to herself.

Like the true gentleman that he was, Max pulled out a chair for Maria on the main table opposite the Captain & the Baroness. A waiter came to the table & poured Maria a glass of wine & Maria smiled nervously. At this point, she was too conscience that she didn't fit in than her feelings towards the Captain. Maria had never been to such a formal dinner in her entire life & as such, had found nothing suitable to wear. She looked around her at all the glamorous dresses & how gorgeous all the women looked in them. She'd thought of making herself one, but all she had left was the material left over from the curtains which would have looked hideous!

"Maria, how nice of you to join us." The Captain smiled as the first course was being served. His tone sounded very much the same as when she turned up late for her first meal. He hadn't used this voice in a few months & she was disheartened to hear it again. She didn't like it, it affirmed her role in the house as the nanny.

"Sorry Captain, I went for a walk to build up my appetite." She glanced down at the tomato soup to avoid eye contact with him. "Oooh, this looks delicious!"

The Captain rolled his eyes & smiled. It's what he loved about Maria, she was so carefree. Not at all like the Baroness who seemed so prim & proper.

"Darling, would you call the waiter? I require more wine." The Baroness smiled as she passed her wineglass to the Captain. Immediately a waiter came over & filled her glass up.

"That's for fifth glass of wine she's had tonight!" Max whispered to Maria. "I think Georg is getting a little embarrased." Maria giggled.

Once the starters had all been ate, the main followed, drink was guzzled by all & was finished off by creamy chocolate gateaux. The Baroness, now on her 8th glass got up & grabbed hold of the Captains hand. "We must dance!" She announced. It seemed the Captain knew he had no choice in the matter as he was guided to the dancefloor, very concience of the fact that no one else was dancing & all eyes were on them. The Baroness, quite obviously giddy from the wine led the dance, placing her arms around his waist & his arm on her shoulder. "Darling, I can lead better than you." She giggled as he looked flushed with embarrasment.

"Shall we dance?" Max suggested as partners started accompanying the pair on the dancefloor.

"Oh no, I can't!" Maria stuttered.

"Why ever not Maria? Come on, lets show them how its done!"

Maria cringed. She thought to herself what she would look like amongst all the beautiful women in expensive dresses. "I only know the Laendler & a few other songs, I don't know how to dance to this one."

"But you did so well earlier. You're a natural born dancer!" He laughed taking the last sip of his wine. "I'm not taking no for an answer." He got up, took Maria's hand & unwillingly led her to the dance floor.

Although Maria was dancing with Max, her eyes were on the Captain who was all away across the dance floor now talking to a young couple. The Baroness was stood by his side, still with a glass in her hand. After one song, Maria broke up the dancing. "I'm going to check on the children." She said as she started to walk off.

"Oh, I was just getting into that!" Max frowned as he turned around to look for another dancing partner.

"Sorry" She winced as she made her way out of the room.

Maria slowly peeked into the children's bedrooms, each one of them fat asleep. She was suprised- they'd seemed so excited earlier in the evening, she thought they'd never sleep. Smiling to herself, she shut the door quietly & turned around to see the Captain coming up the stairs.

"Hello!" The Captain chirped obviously also slightly drunk & merry.

"Shhh! You'll wake the children." Maria stuttered, glad the Captain was no longer treating her like the nanny.

The Captain smiled & leaned against the banister which overlooked the large reception area where the children had done their song earlier. "They were great wern't they?" He grinned turning round to look at Maria who was now also leaning on the banister.

"Yes, they were." Maria smiled. She really was very proud of them. It had taken days to perfect & even little Gretyl had remembered her lines.

"They love you, you know that don't you?" The Captain whispered, now aware he was talking to loudly.

Maria blushed. "I love them too."

The Captain smiled & looked at Maria who was staring straight ahead. He thought in his head how much he loved her, although he couldn't say it. She didn't feel the same way & he knew he should love the Baroness but he just couldn't. Not the same way at least.

"I'm going to head to bed now." Maria announced quietly. "The children will be up at dawn & I was planning on taking them up to the meadows tomorrow morning".

"How fantastic!" The Captain smiled, relieved the awkward silence had passed. "I better head downstairs & finish this night off in style." He kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight".

Maria's heart fluttered as she felt her cheek which was heating up again. Walking towards her bedroom, she knew she had to tell the Captain how she felt. It's what the Mother had told her she must always do, never hide your feelings but she was convinced he didn't feel the same way & even if he did it would be completely immoral. She couldn't do it. The best thing she could do is treasure her time here & dream about how it could be.

As the Captain walked down the stairs, he stopped, looked up & looked lost. He very nearly said how much he loved her. Why didn't he? He knew he needed to do it. He knew he needed to tell the Baroness how he felt. He felt rotten stringing her along. "Tomorrow" he muttered to himself continuing down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**What If?**

Chapter 2

It was 7am when Maria's alarm awoke her. Having had little sleep, she pulled the duvet over her head to hide the blazing sun that was shining through a gap in the curtains. It must have been about 3am before she had finally fallen to sleep- she had been thinking a lot.

The door banged open & in came a stampeed of children who preceded to jump on the bed giggling. "Maria, Maria!" Gretyl's voice beamed.

Reluctantly, she pulled the covers away from her head & was met by Gretyl, Kurt & Marta all sitting on the bed looking at her with gleaming eyes. "Ohhh, whatever is the matter?" She said tiredly.

"You promised to take us to the meadows." Gretel moaned.

Maria grinned at Gretyl's dissapointed face & placed her hand on her face. In all honesty, she had forgotten about her promise she had made them the previous day & felt a pang of guilt shoot through her. "Of course!" She smiled slowly sitting up in bed.

"Lets go!" Kurt yelled as he jumped off the bed & started to run towards the door.

"Like this?" Maria laughed as she got out of bed & pointed to her nightie.

"Oh..." Kurt giggled. "No, not like that."

"How about you three go & get the others ready. I've got a feeling Liesl may be still asleep last night." She said remembering Liesl was sneaking champagne all night long & was probably suffering her first hangover!

After showering & making herself presentable for a morning on the meadows, Maria made her way downstairs in an attempt to dodge the childen so she could have some breakfast. She could hear the children running about upstairs & Liesl screaming. They'd obviously given her the same wakeup call she had received 30 minutes ago!

"Ah, Maria!" The Captain spoke, looking up from his paper in the dining room.

Maria smiled. "Good morning Captain." Sitting down opposite him, she cast her eyes on the fruit that was available for breakfast. Picking up an apple & pouring herself some tea, she tried to think of something to say. She hated awkward silences & just recently she'd been encountering a lot of these with the Captain. "Such lovely weather Captain!"

The Captain folded up his newspaper & smiled. Her heart melted, there was something about it that made her do it. "Indeed. I presume you are all ready for your outing?"

"Oh yes, the children have seen to that!" She giggled feeling a little more comfortable & took a bite out of her apple.

The journey to the meadows took a lot longer than usual. Louisa wanted to go to the market to get some apples after asking Maria if she'd help her make it. Reluctantly, she agreed. "We'll have it for tea" Maria had said dreading making the pie- she wasn't the worlds best cook & can imagine the look of horror on the Captains face when he'd tried it. It was the Baronesses last evening at the house before returning to Vienna & the Captain had suggested they did something nice for her. Truth be told, Maria couldn't wait until she was gone!

Laying the rug down on the grass & placing the picnic basket on top of it, Maria sat down exhausted. All of the children, except Liesl who had decided to take this opportunity to sunbathe were playing with a ball in the distance. She took her hat off & brushed back her hair with her fingers & lay beside Liesl.

"I could fall asleep here." Liesl said dreamily.

"Mmmmhmmm." Maria sighed. "If it wasn't for the children screaming in the background, I'd join you!"

After 30 minutes of playing in the sun, the children came over to Maria & Liesl who were still lying down.

"May we have lunch now?" Gretyl asked looking worn out.

"What's the rush?" Maria questioned. They'd normally spend hours playing on the meadow before asking to go home. Usually it involved Maria dragging them!

The children giggled to one another.

"No reason." Kurt spoke out looking rather guilty.

"I know those faces from anywhere! They are the faces you pulled when I first arrived & you played all those silly tricks on me. Spill!" Maria said worryingly.

"Promise you won't tell?" Louisa said, bursting to share their secret.

Maria looked at each & everyone of them. "Promise..."

"We want to play a trick on the Baroness before she leaves." Fredrick giggled.

"It's tradition." Marta nodded.

"A trick? Come on children, that's not very nice. The Baroness has been lovely to you." She'd love more than anything to see the Baronesses face when they put a spider in her hair or a pine cone on her chair, but what would the Captain say? She was in charge of them & she would look like a fool. "Oh." She giggled. "You do know that the Baroness probably won't take it like a joke as I did & your father will get very cross."

"So we're not allowed?" Kurt whined disappointingly.

"I can't allow it Kurt. Just think how much trouble I'd be in, like the other day when we fell in the river!"

The children's eyes shot out of their sockets. They got into so much trouble that day & so did Maria. Of course it all turned out so well when they sang 'The Hills are Alive' to the Baroness.

"What about something nice then?" Liesl suggested as she gave up on sunbathing & sat up with a rather red face.

"Yes, something nice." Maria concluded. "Lets eat up, go home, bake the apple pie & think of something nice to do for the Baroness this evening. "Now come on, you all must be hungry!" She said getting the food out as they grabbed the jam sandwiches in haste.

The apple pie was all made & the children had been summoned off to get washed & changed for the Baronesses last meal. Maria, wiping the remains of flour out of her hair lay down on the bed exhausted. _"Who gets 2 going away meals?" _She thought to herself. Sighing, she got up & went into her bathroom to have a shower.

As the cooling water drizzled down, she was high in thought. _"Just what did the Captain see in the Baroness? Fair enough, she's glamorous & pretty but she's just so... boring." _

Pulling back the shower curtain & grabbing blindly for the towel in fear that she might get water in her eyes, she wiped her face & wrapped it round her body. Clearing the mirror from steam, she looked at herself. She looked so miserable & she'd never felt like this since she was a child. She loved the Captain more than she'd ever loved anyone before, barr the children of course but that was a different type of love. Again, she remembered the words of the Reverend Mother who she always used to look to for advice when she was troubled. She remembered the Mothers favourite song 'Climb Every Mountain' & started humming it as she dried herself.

Putting her best dress on _"which wouldn't be a patch on what the Baroness would be wearing" _she decided the only way she could get through tonight was to get stupidly drunk which would probably result in her telling the Captain how much she loved him. It wouldn't be all bad though, at least he'd know the truth!


End file.
